Brightsword's Legacy
by Doombringer
Summary: A deeper look at the fabled Commander Brightsword and his Enclave, the dark inner workings of the Tau Empire's propaganda fueled war machine, and the rise to power of an aggressive young Fire Warrior.
1. Chapter 1 The Siege of Nimbosa

**Disclaimer: Everything in the Warhammer 40k Universe belongs to Games Workshop. I did not come up with Commander Brightsword, this is just my way of fleshing out an often-overlooked and important character in Tau history, and giving it my own little spin. Whether or not the reader chooses to think of it as 'canon' is up to them, but I am definitely not doing this for profit!**

**With that said, this is my first attempt at writing a fan fiction, so any and all reviews/comments/criticism is appreciated, good or bad. **

**I've used Tau words pretty extensively in the story to help add character and believability to the setting. If you have trouble with the translations, here's the Tau Lexicon; http://www.cygnusx1.info/tau/lexicon.asp**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1 - The Siege of Nimbosa**

The roar of cannon fire threatened to burst Shas'la Vior'la Kais' eardrums as he and his la'rua ducked behind the dirt parapet overlooking the city. He heard the faint whistle of an approaching shell and chunks of earth were blasted skyward all around him, raining rocks and dust over his otherwise pristine armor. He chanced a glance into the recently captured trench. The bodies of gue'la and tau alike covered the ground in a violet orgy of blood. Kais almost vomited at the stench, even after four years of as a line warrior. All he could hear were explosions and gunfire, embellished by the occasional bloodcurdling scream of pain as a young firewarrior fell bleeding from the low wall, clutching their wounds in agony.

The battle was definitely _not_ going as planned. His cadre was requisitioned in a spur of the moment to assist some Shas'el in the capture of this planet, and so far, Nimbosa was beginning to be more of a struggle than he imagined. Kais realized he was panicking when he saw the expressionless, dead face of his mentor among the bodies around him, a cauterized hole in his forehead, and Kais froze in fear and shock at the loss of his shas'ui. A small green light appeared on his helmet HUD, and in a brief moment of clarity, Kais realized he was now team leader of his la'rua and acting commander of the broken cadre; his shas'el, shas'vres, and now the last remaining shas'ui killed by the gue'la flocking from the city below. He looked around, there were only seven shas'las left in squad one, and his helmet sensors were only picking up life signs from six of the ten squads that jumped from the dropships.

Bolts of crimson lasfire began to appear overhead in static cracks, meaning that if the inferior gue'la were in range to fire, their Tau weaponry most certainly was. Kais inched his head over the fortification to see once more what he was up against.

_Oh dear Aun_, he thought, upon seeing the shallow valley below.

The entire expanse of land between the hilltop and the burning capital was filled with gue'la, more and more pouring through the city gates every rai'kan. Enormous gothic buildings clawed into the sky with no sensible pattern or purpose, and the once beautifully verdant planet of Nimbosa had been reduced to smoke, fire, and ashes. Scores of guardsmen marched themselves up the hill towards Kais' position like a swarm of angry insects, only stopping to unleash volley after volley of burning light. Among them, massive, inefficient tanks clattered and clanked, billowing gouts of exhaust rising from their stacks, and bipedal walkers larger than Broadsides continued up the rough terrain with the mechanical gait of a Crisis pilot in training.

_There is no way we're going to live through this_, Kais began to lose hope, afraid to die for the first time in his life, _the support was supposed to be here a half dec ago!_ The wind was physically knocked out of him at the sight of the gue'la army, there were more humans in that one valley than all the humans he had ever seen combined. The front line of guardsmen was close now, not much farther than a hundred tor'leks. The humans had killed half his cadre, the only remnants were the six partial squads in the trench line and whoever was already in the rear receiving medical attention. Kais didn't want to die. Not now, of all times, during his first Trial by Fire to ascend to the position of Shas'ui. Kais attempted to regain control of his breathing as a Shas'la approached him.

"Shas'la Kais," he yelled over the gunfire, "What are your orders?"

Kais watched the frightened young Shas'la and realized that if he didn't pull himself together, _nobody_ was getting home alive. This was going to get ugly fast, and Kais thought hard about what his team leader would do, choosing the course of action that first popped into his head. He activated every comm channel available in his helmet's limited capabilities.

"Shas'las, this is La'Kais," He screamed, "On my command, in the name of the tau'va, get on line! Fire!"

He and the remnants of his cadre swung their rifles and carbines over the parapet, sighting in on their closest targets, respectively. The ridgeline lit up with an azure fulmination of electromagnetically induced plasma-charged slugs and the faint blue trails of grenades sailing through the air. Kais could feel and smell the tingle of ionized air around him, hearing the sonic cracks of pulse rifles and the hollow detonations of grenades echoing off the hillside. Before him, he lay down a withering fusillade of death from the barrel of his pulse rifle, killing dozens of guardsmen who couldn't seek cover quickly enough, and half as many who just stood there defecating themselves in fear. They had probably halted the human advance for the last time. Kais could see that the gue'la were already close, one more charge and his cadre would be overrun. In the distance, Kais' helmet sensors filtered the vibrations in the air and identified a battery of human Basilisks firing from upwind and the whistle of approaching earthshaker rounds.

"Shas'las! Seek cover!" He cried, never moving faster in his life.

In unison, the Tau fell back into the trench, covering their heads and going prone, the artillery barrage catching the bulwark dead on only moments later. The ground exploded out from underneath Kais in a massive series of simultaneous detonations, hurling him through the air end over end. Time slowed to a crawl and Kais' momentary deafness gave him the illusion of calm. As he reached the apex of his flight, he phased into a dreamlike state of awareness and realized he couldn't feel his legs. He observed his surroundings with a sense of apathetic serenity and saw shattered rocks and molten shrapnel sailing through the air alongside him, and a billowing mushroom cloud rising from the entrenchment. He watched the rapidly accelerating ground and accepted his death with open arms, knowing full well he had played his part in the path towards the tau'va. Kais tumbled over once more and landed on his back with a bone crunching thud, the wind expelled from his lungs once again. Kais lay on his back, gasping for air, his body finally catching up with his journey as he coughed up dust and dirt. He felt shattered into a million pieces, and as the ringing in his ears subsided, the pain fled with it.

Not wanting to move, Kais lay there, wondering where his helmet had gone. The sun had just settled past the horizon, and he gazed up at the twilight sky, relishing it. It was the most beautiful thing he had seen in a long time. A glowing orb streaking past caught his eye. Kais had never seen a shooting star before, but here they were, now dozens of them, falling in unison through the atmosphere, swirling and dancing in the amethyst sky, changing course and hurtling straight down. Wait, can shooting stars change course?

Kais was snapped back into full consciousness as he realized what they were, sitting up suddenly, his body in furious protest. It felt like every single bone in him was bruised, but he regained the feeling in his legs so he took it as a good sign and feebly stood up, the pain subsiding momentarily. Not a single Tau firewarrior was moving. The entire cadre was still, laying in cyan pools of blood or torn into unrecognizable chunks of blue-grey flesh. The first of the human warriors crested the ridgeline and saw Kais, but his gaze turned upwards and he pointed towards the falling stars, yelling back down the hill.

The bright phosphorescent trail of the seeker missiles turned straight towards the valley, and in waves, they descended below the ridgeline, out of Kais' view. Bright blue-white flashes appeared from the valley, and the ground trembled in response to the dozens of deadly projectiles falling from the sky. Kais imagined each diving missile, propelled faster than the speed of sound, making its final adjustments a split-rai'kan before impacting an individually targeted gue'la body from fifty tor'kais away, vaporizing the pathetic human instantly.

The thought made Kais smile softly. Kais knew it was untaulike to take amusement at the misfortune of others, but he didn't care. He carefully grabbed a battered but operational pulse rifle from the ground next to him, its thin rectangular structure still intact despite the airborne journey it had probably shared with Kais. He raised it to his shoulder, sighted in, and shot the surprised human on the hill, his body crumpling into the crater left by the earthshakers. The last seeker impacted the ground after a full rai'kor of bombardment and Kais knew the humans in the valley were reduced to nothing but dust and smoking wreckage.

_What am I going to do now?_, he thought. The gunfire had finally subsided, the smoking battlefield a silent lament to the hundreds of Tau that had fallen in battle. He turned away from the city, alone, afraid, and weak. An enormous XV8 Crisis battlesuit stood before him, its angular grey and black body offset by the bright red rank, name, and sept markings lining the hull. It bristled with advanced weaponry, and raised an arm to its chest in salute. Kais returned it, despite battlefield regulations, upon seeing the operator's name painted on the breastplate, and dropped to a knee in deference.

"You've done well today, Kais," The suit operator said, his deep voice distorted by the battlesuit's aural amplifiers.

"Have I? My entire cadre is dead." Kais dropped his head in despair, seeing the blooded, battered condition of his armor, realizing it could have been him, dead or scattered across the ground in pieces. "It's my fault they're gone, I have failed my Trial," he said through gritted teeth, his fear turning to anger and rage.

The battlesuit's optic cluster cocked in thoughtful recognition, "This isn't your fault Kais. You did everything you could to ensure the survival of your cadre. You fought valiantly, and the fallen will be remembered for it. You must understand something though, Kais. These gue'la of the 'Imperium' live for one purpose, and one alone, to take from us all that we hold dear. We have given them many chances to accept the tau'va, but have they ever given us the same respect? These humans must be dealt with in ways other than diplomacy, young fire warrior. _You_ are that way, Kais."

Kais looked up, the sheer intensity in his fiery red eyes causing the Crisis operator to visibly recoil in his suit. Kais wanted more. He wanted war, he wanted fighting, and he wanted to avenge his cadre. The battlesuit operator extended his hand in invitation.

"I am Shas'el Tash'var Ol'nan, and I wish to offer you a place in my cadre. We could use a Shas'ui like you."

"But. I am Shas'la," Kais protested, taken by surprise. The Shas'el crouched and laid an armored gauntlet on Kais' shoulder. For the first time in his life he felt the overwhelming feelings of pride, purpose, and belonging, everything he had ever wanted in his life.

"Not anymore, Kais… Not anymore."


	2. Chapter 2 Shas'el Ol'nan

**Chapter 2 – Shas'el Ol'nan**

It was six rotaa since the events at the Nimbosa capital. Kais lay in the infirmary staring out the circular window at the night sky, unable to fully remember where he was and how he got there. Kais was tall for a Shas, taking up the entire length of the hovering gurney, and bore the signature muscular, brawny frame and dark grey skin of his sept. Kais tried to move but his body protested in pain. Through half-open eyelids, he slowly gazed around the pristine, domed room, absorbing his surroundings in small, easy-to-digest pieces. He took a moment to examine the intravenous lines running into his forearm, and the machinery he was connected to that was monitoring his vitals. The filtered air was frigid and smelled of antibacterial agents, and Kais couldn't help but shiver in discomfort. He hated the cold. Kais had grown up on Vior'la, one of the hottest worlds in the Tau Empire, and at the moment wished only to be back home with his cadre.

_His cadre._

It came back to him in a sudden rush of panic and terror. They were gone, destroyed by the human bombardment. All his friends, brothers, instructors, and mentors - dead. Kais felt an unbearable surge of despair and loneliness, and fought with all his strength against an outburst of emotion, tears beginning to flow from his deep red eyes.

_No_, Kais thought, _I can't do this..._

It was untaulike to mourn death. It was inefficient. They did their part. They died so others could live. They died for the Tau'va. Kais continued to struggle against his raging thoughts. He was the sole survivor of one of the most esteemed cadres on Vior'la, with one of the most experienced shas'els at its heart and hundreds of the best Tau warriors as its lifeblood. Now there was only one left.

_Why me?_

A small drone, noticing its patient's consciousness, corkscrewed up through a circular opening in the ceiling. A few raik'ors later and the infirmary doors organically yawned open, and four sets of hoofsteps entered the room. Kais willed himself to conceal the tears streaking down his face but his body wouldn't respond.

A tall light-skinned Tau in flowing red robes filigreed with copper trim sat on a stool next to the bed and Kais struggled to hide his face in shame, unwilling to show any emotion. The Tau at his side spoke in a familiar deep voice.

"Shas'ui Kais."

Kais locked eyes with the presence next to him. So this was the fabled Commander Brightsword, ranking shas'el of Fire Caste Command Nimbosa and student of none other than the renegade Farsight. He was rather thin for a Shas, not uncommon for those of the Tash'var sept, as their world was often under siege by alien raiders causing planetwide famine and starvation. Kais figured it was simply common practice on Tash'var to breed Tau with less body mass, requiring less sustenance so the raids weren't so hard-hitting.

"Shas'el Ol'nan," Kais managed through his drugged slur.

"The fio tell me you're healing well. You had collapsed outside the city. Your mind had finally caught up with your battered body."

"Is it bad, Shas'el?" Kais asked, a quiver in his voice, the tears subsiding momentarily.

"Not too bad," Ol'nan assured, "A few broken bones, more bruised ones, some flesh wounds from shrapnel. Your helmet recorded quite the ordeal before it was flung from your head in the barrage. You'll be out of here in top shape in less than half a kai'rotaa."

Kais remembered wondering where his helmet was upon landing back on dry ground and forced back a hesitant chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. He had just been flung hundreds of tor'leks, had very nearly died, and the only thing on his mind was why he no longer had headgear on.

"What... What happened exactly?" Kais asked, afraid of the answer he already knew.

Ol'nan dipped his head in solemnity, closing his eyes, "Your cadre was sent to the city as a forward scout. There wasn't supposed to be any bloodshed, but we underestimated the gue'la communications technology. They intercepted our transmissions and knew exactly where to strike and when. By the time we realized what they had done, the bulk of our forces were too far away to respond, and your cadre was surrounded and assaulted. Forward pathfinder teams locked their targets, requested fire support as soon as they could, and by the time my cadre finally arrived, you were the only one standing."

Kais flinched at the statement, his tears of mourning turning to seething anger almost instantly. Ol'nan noticed the change and quickly took advantage of the young fire warrior's tumultuous emotional state.

"You are now a part of the Brightsword Enclave. I only ask a few things of my subordinates, Ui'Kais."

Kais looked up in anticipation, a fire in his eyes. He was eager to meet the requests and get back into the fray. 

"The first is that you must never forget what these gue'la have done to you. Your loyalties lie with this cadre now, but you must always remember the actions these gue'la have so mercilessly inflicted upon you."

Kais swore that he would never forget. He would never forget the look of his mentor staring up at him from the trench with those cold dead eyes.

"The second is that you must forget everything you think you know about warfare, the tau'va, and the universe. The sio't meditations, the Vior'lan battle domes, everything. The galaxy is a big place, and I have seen things beyond the imagination of the wisest of the ethereals. The tau'va does not extend its enlightenment over all beings. The Be'gel and Y'he will never be subsumed into the Tau Empire, and as long as I live, the 'Imperium' will not see the light of the Greater Good either. We give one offer, and one alone, Kais. The gue'la of Nimbosa have declined, and now they have suffered the consequences," Ol'nan said, emphasizing the implication by punching his palm.

"I want to fight, Shas'el! I need to!" Kais instantly exploded, not caring for a single raik'an about 'forgiveness' and 'acceptance'.

"I know you do," Ol'nan said, standing and resting his hand on Kais' arm, "You will have your chance soon enough. Nimbosa is ours, but a massive Gue'la fleet approaches. They will arrive in less than two kai'rotaa to seek their retribution, but it is then that you shall take yours.

"Now rest."

"Yes, Shas'el..."

Ol'nan departed the sickbay with his retinue, a smug grin crossing his face.

The recovering Tau closed his eyes and drifted into drug-induced sleep once again. He dreamed of pulseshots. He dreamed of blood. He dreamed of war.

Kais smiled.


End file.
